How Can I Find Out My Spouse’s Income?

When you’re going through a divorce or child custody dispute in California, it is often important to know your spouse’s (or ex-spouse’s) income. For many people, this is not a problem because they are able to obtain the spouse’s pay stubs or W-2. When your spouse is paid under the table or in cash, it can be more difficult to find out how much your spouse truly makes every month.

The first thing you can and should do when trying to find out how much money your spouse makes is to simply ask. You can ask your spouse to fill out an Income and Expense Declaration where your spouse lists his or her monthly income and expenses. This document must be signed under penalty of perjury, which means the true and correct information better be written down on that form or else the spouse can face sanctions by the court.

Another way to discover your spouse’s true income is by conducting discovery, such as depositions. You can have a lawyer ask questions of your spouse’s employer, co-workers, and any one else who might have the information, to find out how much money your spouse makes. For example, if your spouse typically makes a large bonus at the end of the year but is now saying that he did not get a bonus, your lawyer can depose the witnesses listed above to find out whether that is true.

You can also hire a private investigator to obtain information about your spouse’s employment. Perhaps you do not know where your spouse works or the name of his employer. Or if your spouse is self-employed, perhaps you do not know how many clients he has or how many sales he makes. A private investigator may help you obtain this information.

Depositions and private investigators both require money, but if it helps you discover how much income your spouse really takes in every month, they may be well worth the investment. If you have more questions about discovering your spouse’s true income, call us today. We are here to answer your questions.

If you or a loved one wants to file for divorce, the family law attorneys at Wallin & Klarich can help you through the process. Our experienced California family law attorneys can provide you with legal advice and will be your advocate in a family law court. If you’re thinking of hiring an attorney for a dissolution, call us today at 1-888-749-7428 for a consultation, or fill out the online case evaluation form to the right.